Monday, July 31, 2006

Sweeney Todd Will Soon Be FleetingOver the weekend, it was announced that the stunning revival of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Toddwill close September 3 -- nearly three months sooner than originally expected. Having opened on November 3, 2005 to rave reviews, it will have played a total of 349 performances by the time things wind down at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

The original 1979 production of Sweeney Todd with Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury at the Uris Theatre (renamed in 1983 as the George Gershwin Theatre) won 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The original ran for a total of 557 performances, opening on March 1, 1979 and closing on June 29, 1980.

I was very disappointed that the current revival never managed to attract and sustain the audiences it so richly deserved -- despite its critical acclaim, it has often hovered near the bottom of the weekly list of Broadway grosses (last week, the musical attracted 53.6% capacity). I also was quite disheartened when it failed to win the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical; while it earned six Tony nominations, it only won in the Best Direction of a Musical (John Doyle) and Best Orchestrations (Sarah Travis) categories.

But don't expect September 3 to be the last of this Sweeney Todd -- a touring production is now very likely.

Broadway's 2010-11 Theatrical Season

About Me

As someone who has been involved in both politics and public relations, it's no wonder I love watching theatre. Good or bad, it's the raw energy of seeing a live performance that gets my adrenaline pumping. From the moment I saw my very first Broadway show ("Annie" in London in 1979), I was hooked. Now I see as many as 70 shows each year ranging from soaring musicals to two-hander plays. And these eyes just may be in an audience near you!